


reparations

by greywardenblue



Category: Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, I have Emotions and I needed to write this to let them out, Meve is angry and heartbroken, Reynard is just very very confused, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, i mean what, in which Meve is Lonely and realizes it's her own fault for keeping people at arm's length, this is right after that cemetery scene in Rivia, you may read her feelings towards these two as platonic or romantic as you wish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23705971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greywardenblue/pseuds/greywardenblue
Summary: Meve held herself together as well as she could while Gascon was standing in front of her, but the moment the man was out of earshot, she started swearing profusely.
Relationships: Gascon Brossard & Meve, Meve & Reynard Odo
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	reparations

Meve held herself together as well as she could while Gascon was standing in front of her, but the moment the man was out of earshot, she started swearing profusely.

"Fuck," she said, then for emphasis, " _Fuck_." She kicked a stone wall and felt the pain shoot up her leg. " _Fuck it all to hell_." There were footsteps behind her and she turned quickly, afraid that Gascon had decided to walk back, but she found Reynard instead.

That was fine. Having a breakdown in front of Reynard was completely different.

"Your Majesty?" Reynard looked clearly concerned, and Meve thought that he must have followed Gascon and her just like how she followed Gascon, not because he didn't trust them, but because he was worried. A frantic laugh bubbled out of her, but it only made Reynard look more distressed. "What happened? What did Gascon do?"

"What?" Of course that's the conclusion Reynard would jump to, especially since the failed assassination attempt not that long ago, where somebody they never would have suspected turned out to be a spy. Between that and most of her inner circle lying to her in some way, she was not surprised, but she was still offended on Gascon's behalf. "No, Gascon didn't _do_ anything." She shook her head and turned her back on Reynard, going right back to throwing a fit. " _Fuck_. It's no wonder he tried to sell me out to the Nilfgaardians! It's a miracle he didn't do worse. I would have _deserved_ worse." Tears were coming to her eyes and it was getting harder to breath through the sobs that were threatening to break out of her. It was either that, or throwing up. Overall, crying sounded better, as long as nobody but Reynard saw.

"Your Majesty, what are you talking about?"

"I didn't know about the second part," she said in a hurry. "I didn't know what he would order to be done to the crypt. I didn't _know_. But I was there at the trial, and I said nothing!" She punched a stone wall, barely registering the pain this time. "I feel like such a fool. I was here, trying to figure out what kind of reward I'd give Gascon when all this is done, what position I'd offer him at court so he would stay near. But why would he want to do anything to do with me or my family after what we did to his?" She hardly noticed the secret she revealed, the weakness she showed. This was Reynard, only Reynard. He would keep her secrets. He would, wouldn't he?

Reynard was right next to her now, his hand hovering near her shoulder, not quite daring to touch. "To clarify... you're not angry _at_ Gascon?"

She spun around, accidentally pushing Reynard's hand away. "I'm angry at my gods-damn husband! _The earth lie lightly upon him_ , my ass! I have half the mind to dig him up and cut _him_ to pieces, to see how he'd like it." She didn't mean that, and she did, at the same time. She said a lot of things she only half-meant, she realized. Like telling Gascon she'd flog him for speaking his mind, as if she'd ever do it. (She could see that he believed she would, and that hurt even though she had no right to be hurt. Was it a wonder that he would not stay?) Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, Reynard. Tell me to keep my voice down, dammit, the soldiers can't hear me speak that way."

"Meve," Reynard said gently, and the use of her name made her look at him. He looked immediately horrified. "I mean, Your Majesty--"

She put her hand on his to stop him.

"You could learn a few things from Gascon, you know."

Horror turned into scandal. "Me? From him?"

Meve sighed and shook her head, the anger slowly leaving her body. The desperation was still there, but she would deal with that later. "You may call me by my name when we are alone, Reynard. Maybe don't accuse me of spying on you, though." As her anger left, she could feel the exhaustion seep into her bones. As if planning for the meeting with Villem wasn't enough, now there was this. She leaned forward against Reynard, resting. Being a Queen was so gods-damn lonely sometimes, but Reynard's shoulder felt warm against her cheek. He went rigid at first, but then his arms slowly came up around her. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to make up for this. I told him I would pay to fix up the crypt, but I don't feel like it's enough."

"One step at a time," Reynard murmured, and Meve appreciated him going with her rant even if he must have had no idea what she was on about. "If you feel you have hurt him, you must make up for it over time. There will be no one gesture that will solve everything, although one might move things along a bit." Meve thought of Gascon and Reynard both rushing in to save her life from the Nilfgaardian spy, and how she was uncertain about them before that. Maybe Reynard had a point.

"But what if I put this off until I have my throne back, and then before I can do anything he tips his hat and disappears into the forest?" It was assumed that Reynard would stay with her once this is over, but she gave a lot of thought to what Gascon would want to do. She couldn't have done any of this without the two of them, or at least not without going completely insane in the process, she knew this. The possibility of one of them leaving was too much. But what place would a - former - brigand have at a Queen's side when said Queen wasn't trudging through swamps?

Reynard shook his head. "I do believe even Gascon would find it difficult to return to his mischief against a monarch he is actually fond of."

Meve paused at that phrasing, wondering if Reynard put together more of the story than she thought - there was an unspoken parallel between his words and the revolt that cost Gascon his family.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let's go back," she said, then took Reynard's hand. She let go of it not long later when their soldiers came into view, but it felt significant nonetheless.


End file.
